This invention relates to headboards for beds and more particularly to a knock-down fabric covered headboard having merchandising advantages over those previously known.
In recent years, furniture designs have utilized headboards with fabric covers. Sometimes such fabric covers are cushioned, quilted, or tufted. As used herein the term "fabric" is also understood to include leather. It is customary in the manufacture and marketing of such fabric covered headboard frames to fabricate frames of a length suitable for either twin, full or queen, or king size beds, then upholster the frame to complete the fabric covered frame at the manufacturing location. Thus all three sizes are manufactured and upholstered at the manufacturing location. They must then be inventoried, shipped and stored fully assembled.
This presents substantial merchandising problems in that a retailer must anticipate the number of each size headboard for each fabric pattern that may be requested by customers. This results in either extremely large inventor or limited selections for the retailer. The alternative is to have the customer select the headboard from samples or catalogs, then order the headboard from the manufacturer. It has been found that this is not entirely satisfactory, because when a customer selects a headboard, he prefers to have immediate delivery, rather than several weeks or months delay while it is backordered. In addition, the shipping, storing, and warehousing of assembled, fabric covered headboards is expensive, because they are bulky and require substantial storage and shipping space.
In accordance with the present invention, however, there is provided a knock-down headboard frame with a separable slip cover type fabric covering therefore which holds the frame members together. All headboards utilize the same end pieces joined by separable center sections. The difference between a twin, full, queen, and king size resides solely in the lengths of the center sections used. The unit is individually cartoned. Each carton contains a right and left upright, center section, connecting plates, a fabric cover, and written instructions. Since the headboard is in collapsed configuration, the shipping and storage costs are considerably decreased. Further, the fabrication costs are minimized because of the standardized parts.
Upon purchase the customer merely assembles the appropriate center sections, (twin, full, queen, or king size) between a pair of identical side members to form a frame of the appropriate size. The appropriate cover is then slipped over the headboard frame and the lower edges thereof secured to form the finished headboard. The cover is of such a size and so dimensioned that, when in place, it is snug around the frame to hold it together, while the cover itself is slightly stretched. Thereafter, if the customer wants to clean or replace the cover, he merely removes the cover and either cleans or replaces it. Conversion of Hollywood beds to double, queen, or king size beds is made more easy. Also to change the decor of a room, it is only necessary to purchase a new cover.
In general, the frame for the present invention includes a left-hand side member and a right-hand side member which are basically the same regardless of whether the frame is to be made into a twin, full, queen, or king size headboard. Center sections are provided of five different lengths: a short length for twin size beds (approximately six inches in effective length); a second length for full size beds (approximately twenty-one inches in effective length); a third length for queen size beds (approximately twenty-seven inches in effective length); and a first longer section to be added to the queen size length to form king size frames (approximately forty-five inches in effective length); and a second longer section to be added to the queen size length to form a "California King" frame. Alternatively the king size frame may use a longer center length as a center section. The ends of the center sections include a portion of reduced diameter for insertion into the opposed tubular arms of the side members which extend toward each other. Once assembled, the side members and center sections form the headboard frame of the appropriate length. In this condition the frame is not intended for use, because it is not sufficiently sturdy until the cover is assembled as described below.
The fabric covers are formed of a pair of opposed fabric panels. The fabric panels are seamed on each end and across the top, and initially open at the bottom. When sewn the distance between the end seams is no greater than (and perhaps slightly less than) the distance between the upright tubular posts of the side members, so that the cover is stretched as it is assembled to more securely hold the frame together. The fabric panels adjacent the bottom edges are provided with a releasable attaching means, such as zippers or hook and loop fastener strips, referred to as Velcro fasteners, a trademark of Velcro U.S.A., Inc., of Manchester, NH. With these Velcro fastener strips the lower edges of the cover member may be secured together when the cover is assembled onto the frame. This results in an even more rigid connection of the frame, keeps the cover from sliding up and helps to hold the cover taut.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a knock-down, fabric covered headboard.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a headboard of the type described in which the frame members and cover may be shipped and stored in a collapsed condition until ready for assembly.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a frame for headboards of the type described in which the side members thereof are essentially the same regardless of the size of the headboard, and the only difference is in the length of the center section joining the side members .